Download Click here for PowerPoint file. - Cancer Action Coalition of Virginia

Case for Support
Blood Cancers
More than 1 million North Americans are fighting blood cancers, the third
leading cause of cancer deaths.
Early detection is rare for blood cancers, and there are no measures that can
be taken to prevent the onset of these diseases.
Approximately every four minutes someone in North America is diagnosed
with a blood cancer; every 10 minutes someone dies.
Investing in Research
• LLS is the world’s largest nonprofit supporter of blood cancer research. In
fiscal year 2011, LLS invested $76.7 million in nearly 400 blood cancer
research projects around the world. LLS has invested more than $814
million in research since its inception.
• LLS funds exemplary projects across the entire research continuum, from
basic laboratory science through clinical trials. Dr. Steven Grant, a
researcher at VCU Health System, whose work is focused on chronic
lymphocytic leukemia has a 3-year grant from LLS, at $200,000 annually.
• LLS establishes business alliances with biotechnology companies and
contract research organizations to help advance projects more quickly
from the laboratory to clinical trials and to patients with cancer.
• LLS is working with partners to increase enrollment of patients in clinical
trials in the communities where they live.
Results That Matter
Since 1949, the survival rate for many blood cancer patients has doubled
or tripled, and in some cases quadrupled.
• Forty years ago, a child’s chance of surviving leukemia was three percent;
today, 9 out of 10 live thanks to advances supported by LLS.
• Hodgkin lymphoma patient survival rates have more than doubled to 88%
since the 1960s.
• Survival rate for myeloma patients tripled in past decade.
Not Just Blood Cancer
Critical treatment innovations such as radiation, chemotherapy and stem-cell
transplantation all started with blood cancer therapies. Nearly 50% (19 out of
39) of all cancer drugs approved by the Food & Drug Administration during
the past decade were developed for blood cancer patients. Five have already
been approved for patients with other cancers.
Therapies that Help Other Patients Too
•
Gleevec – Used to treat patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, certain
other blood cancers, gastrointestinal stromal tumors and fibrosarcomas,
and being tested for patients with breast, nerve, brain, prostate, small cell
lung and ovarian cancers, melanoma and other diseases.
•
Rituxan – Used to treats patients with follicular, diffuse large B-cell
lymphoma, and patients with other types of blood cancers. It is also
approved to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis and is being tested
for other autoimmune diseases.
•
Velcade – Used to treat myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma patients, and
being tested for patients with melanoma, kidney, lung, head-and-neck,
thyroid and prostate cancers.
Helping Patients Today
LLS is a beacon of help and guidance and offers an array of free services
for patients and their families:
• More than $43.5 million in FY 2011 for financial aid and co-pay assistance.
Locally, LLS provided $90,750 to 605 patients and $552,296 in co-pay
assistance to 207 patients throughout Virginia.
• Toll-free Information Resource Center (800.955.4572).
• Web site: www.lls.org .
• National and chapter-based education programs.
• Family Support Groups.
• Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection peer support.
• Back to School help for children with cancer.
Advocacy: What We Do
• Advocate nationally and locally for legislation that will improve the quality
of life of patients and their families.
• Work to ensure effective, federally-funded biomedical research.
• Enhance the quality of cancer care.
• Educate and mobilize volunteers to take action.
How We Do It
• 61 chapters across North America.
• 2.2 million social network contacts.
• 2.6 million email subscribers.
• Over 10 million volunteers and donors.
• “Best in Class” fundraising: Team In Training; Light The Night Walk; School
& Youth programs; Man & Woman of the Year.
How You Can Help LLS
LLS needs your help, so together we can better
serve patients with blood cancers in our
community.
Please complete a survey to tell us about your
current services for blood cancer patients and
your professional education needs.
www.rmei.com/llssurvey
Join Us!
There are many ways for you to support our quest to beat blood cancers.
As a
participant, volunteer, donor, partner.
Visit
www.LLS.org/va
to learn about all the ways to help.